Monday 2 July 2012

Nigeria: Former IGP faces corruption charge

Early last month, on 6 June, a court in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, granted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) leave to arraign former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sunday Ehindero over an allegation that he and accomplices misappropriated Naira 558 million belonging to the Nigerian Police Force.

Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of the Abuja High Court ordered Ehindero to appear for trial alongside a former police commissioner in charge of budget, John Obaniyi , on 28 June. Both men were to be arraigned on a six-count criminal charge raised against them by the antigraft agency on 30 May.

Specifically, ICPC alleged that the accused conspired and used their positions to confer undue advantages upon themselves by diverting Naira 300 million of Naira 558 million donated to the Nigeria Police Force by the Bayelsa State government. ICPC told the court that the money had been given for the procurement of arms, ammunition, and riot control equipment. It also stated that investigations revealed that the accused had diverted the money into a fixed-deposit account at the now defunct Wema Bank , where it had already yielded interest of Naira9.8 million. The fraud was apparently perpetuated between May and November 2006. Ehindero was the inspector general from 2005 to 2007.

He and his alleged accomplice were also accused of placing another Naira 200 million in a fixed deposit account at Intercontinental Bank (also now defunct, following its takeover by Access Bank ), where it earned interest of Naira 6.5 million. They allegedly diverted all the interest to their

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

© 2012 Menas Associates

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